I'm a wine expert - here's my top selections to pair with Christmas meals and impress the family

A late-night supper

If your family has descended on you, then it is always good to have something prepared for a late-night supper, from paté and crusty bread to a shepherd’s pie that will line stomachs and stave off hunger until a late breakfast next day. You will need wine too. Try these.

Extra Special Douro 2023, Portugal, Asda £6.97: Made from a blend of Portuguese grapes, planted on terraces alongside the winding Douro river, this is a dry, robust, flavourful wine that settles down alongside meaty dishes such as roast lamb, tagines or just a plate of sausages. Great with a chunk of cheese too.

Blueprint Pinot Noir 2024, Romania, Waitrose £7.25: An inexpensive Pinot Noir that has all the right fragrant strawberry and raspberry fruit, with a hint of spice and a silky style. It comes from the west of Romania where whole hillsides have been contoured and replanted to make the most of the sunshine. Perfect with any kind of chicken dish or a plate of charcuterie.

Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône 2024, France, Sainsbury down from £12.75 to £10.50 until 1 January: The Perrin family is the leading producer of organic wines in the Rhone, and what they don’t produce organically, they use sustainable eco-friendly methods. This is a basic Côtes du Rhône, full of plump cherry and blueberry fruit, with enough structure to cope with a hearty supper.

Friends for lunch

Cune Rioja Reserva 2019, Waitrose down from £14.75 to £10 until 1 January: A classic style of Rioja with ripe damson and raspberry fruit, and a touch of cinnamon and vanilla. At this offer price it is well worth buying enough to see you through winter and into spring to cope with any occasion when you have lamb on your plate. It also goes well with chicken and beef dishes especially if there are tomatoes in the mix.

Howard Park Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, Western Australia, Tesco, down from £13 to £10.50 with Nectar until 31 December: This is a fine example of the fresh, elegant style of wine that Margaret River is famous for. It has cassis and blackberry fruit, balanced by a seam of freshness. with herbs and savoury notes on the finish. Perfect with beef, but it has a lightness of touch which means it will settle happily alongside roast chicken, duck and vegetarian dishes.

A family dinner

Cape Quarter Boekenhoutskloof Bordeaux Blend 2024, Stellenbosch, South Africa, Marks and Spencer, £10: What a joy to find a wine from Boekenhoutskloof on a supermarket shelf, and the quality is great. This is a gorgeous property in a steep-sided valley in Franschhoek and there not a bad wine in the range. With its stylish ripe blackcurrant fruit and plum flavours, it is a sure-fire winner to accompany full-flavoured winter dishes.

Villa Cafaggio Organic Chianti Classico 2022, Tuscany, Waitrose down from £16 to £10 while stocks last: This wine has been stocked by Waitrose for several years yet whenever I taste it, I am impressed by its deep cherry and raspberry fruit, with supple tannins and a savoury edge. It comes from an ancient estate that can trace its history back 700 years, but it is at the leading edge of viticulture and winemaking. It is located in Panzano, in the ‘Conca d’Oro’ which is the meeting point of several slopes where some of the finest Chianti Classico wines are made. Made from 100% Sangiovese, the grapes are hand harvested and gently pressed then, after fermentation the wine is aged in large Slavonian oak barrels. Look out for magnums of this wine, they always look impressive on the table.

Cherubino Ad Hoc Cruel Mistress Pinot Noir 2023, Great Southern, Australia, Hoults down from £19 to £13: Winemaker Larry Cherubino is a cheerful guy, and he is probably referring to the grape Pinot Noir as his ‘Cruel Mistress’ because it needs a lot of attention and even then, it might let you down. But this wine doesn’t disappoint. It is bright, lively, vivacious and rounded. It starts with a delicious red and black cherry aroma, fills out across the palate with smooth red fruit flavours and disappears with silky tannins, leaving nothing but happy memories. A good mistress indeed.

The Main Event

Christmas is the time to splash out a little, find new flavours and try wines that you might not otherwise buy. Don’t be afraid to stock up, prices will definitely rise on February 1 next year as new duty rates are imposed.

Jean-Jacques Girard Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2023, Bon Coeur down from £26 to £19 while stocks last: This is just a simple Bourgogne Rouge, but wines from Jean-Jacques Girard have a silky, elegant style that make them taste well beyond their appellation. It has immediate red fruits of cherry, raspberry and wild strawberry with an edge of spice and a smooth, elegant finish.

La Rioja Alta, ‘Viña Ardanza’ Reserva 2019, Spain, Majestic £25.50 on a mix six deal: Lamb is the traditional partner with Rioja, but it does just as well alongside turkey and all the flavourful stuffing, sauces and veg that go with it. La Rioja Alta is one of Rioja’s oldest and most famous wineries and Viña Ardanza echoes classic style of Rioja. It revels in its delicate, sweet raspberry and red cherry notes, wrapped in gentle, old oak, with spice, earthy notes and supple tannins.

Oldenburg Cabernet Franc 2020, Stellenbosch, South Africa, Harrogate Fine Wines, £39.99: This is one of the most beautiful estates in South Africa and the quality of the wine just shines out of the glass. Located in the Banghoek Valley, there are cool breezes which keep temperatures down while freshness builds in the grapes. This Cabernet Franc has blackcurrant fruit layered with cherry and cranberry with herbal undertones and subtle, food-friendly tannins.